There is a reason they often call perimenopause the second adolescence. Shifting hormones can make your face into Pimple Nation but this also might be the time that your dentist has finally guilted you into getting orthodontics like Invisalign or standard issue metal braces. While may of us may be willing to live with a long-standing crooked smile or just teeth that have shifted over the years, the dentist usually makes a claim that it will be easier for you to care for your teeth if they are straight. So there you are at mid-life, joining your kids at the bathroom sink, applying wax to the inside of your mouth to stop the chafing. Good times.
Why is it so necessary to be extra vigilant about dental care in our midlife years? Gum recession starts around age 35 which corresponds to finally understanding the saying “long in the tooth.” Aging aside, what is actually happening to a normal woman who isn’t eating Halloween candy all the time and what can be done about it?
So the bacteria that live on the teeth, streptococcus mutans and sobrinus, and lactobiccili, feed on fermentable carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose, fructose, and cooked starch) and produce acids that dissolve the dental minerals, calcium and phosphate, that protect the tooth from harm. In other gross news, this bacteria can be passed from person to person in the saliva, not easy, but doable, so depending on your personal life, this can become a “not only me” issue.
Fluoride helps with the remineralization process after the carbs have demineralized your teeth. Most toothpastes have a base fluoride of 1000 parts/million. There are also toothpastes that are prescription level at 5000 parts/million. These toothpastes are expensive, $10-$15/tube but if you are trying to reduce your dental cleanings during the Covid-19 pandemic, why not ask your dentist to write you a prescription? Most people don’t realize that it is an option for them.
There are also the dental rinses available that have an average make-up of 220 parts/million of fluoride. For most people, if they brush twice a day, use the rinse twice a day, and floss twice a day, they will have a great strategy for keeping tooth decay and dental visits at bay.
Economically if you are spending about $7 a month on dental rinse, $5 a month on floss, $5 a month on toothpaste, and $3 a month on a toothbrush that you rotate out each quarter, that comes to about $220 a year on dental supplies. Compare that to the thousands you will probably have to pay for periodontal gum grafting or crowns along with the anxiety of all those dentals visits in this day and age. Not worth it homes.
Another really easy tip: after you brush your teeth don’t rinse your teeth with water. Spit out the excess toothpaste from your mouth and let the rest just sit on your teeth. Why detract from the effort you just put in?
Talk about Invisalign another time. Let the remineralization begin.
